The week's top Personal Finance stories

In case you missed them, here are the top 10 Personal Finance stories from MarketWatch for the week of Dec. 14-18:

Higher rates are likely for some filers in 2011, and 2010 could bring tax overhaul

Some Americans likely will find their tax bills rising in about a year. The George W. Bush-era tax cuts expire at the end of 2010 and the current outlook is that high-income Americans will take the brunt of the pain as income-tax and capital-gains rates revert to higher levels. But experts also say it's highly likely Congress will act to protect middle- and lower-income taxpayers. See Tax Watch.

Strangulation risk prompts massive recall of window blinds

In one of the biggest recalls in its history, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Tuesday a voluntary recall of all Roman and roll-up blinds -- an estimated 50 million -- to prevent the strangulation risk to small children who may get tangled in the cords. Consumers are urged to stop using them immediately. Free repair kits are available to those who have Roman or roll-up shades in their homes. It's been a tough few months for parents trying to keep their kids safe from hidden hazards. The window-blind recall follows a separate recall of 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs on Nov. 23. See Health Matters Blog.

Year-end bonuses join endangered species list

At U.S. workplaces, the holidays just aren't what they used to be. Companies are scaling back on holiday parties, if they're having one at all, and the annual holiday bonus -- a Christmas tradition for some workers -- is no longer so traditional. See Careers.

Finding a family to split care costs can your relationship skills

I've been dumped. Stephanie was nice about it, but the message was clear: I'm just not that into you, or your baby. I was hoping she and I could work out a nanny-share arrangement in which we'd split the cost of a nanny to watch our two babies during the work day. But no. See Diary of a Recession Baby.

Free credit scores may not be worth much

The world of credit ratings is getting more transparent, thanks in part to a number of Web sites offering free credit scores and credit-management tools. But that doesn't mean understanding your credit ranking is any easier. See Andrea Coombes.

A tale of two Cadillacs: the wagon & the crossover

Psst! Here's a little inside information that the SEC cannot come after you for. Even before this road test was written, the CTS Sport Wagon was added to the year-end list of best cars. See Auto Review.

Make the most of gift cards

The countdown to the holidays has begun, and if you've got "giver's block" you may well be thinking you should just go ahead and buy a gift card. See Jennifer Openshaw.

The best gifts for retirees

The holiday season is upon us. Chanukah is here. Christmas is just a week away. Kwanzaa starts shortly after. No doubt you're trying to find the perfect gift for that special person in your life -- the retiree, the semi-retiree or the soon-to-be retiree. What is that perfect gift? We posed that question to retirement-planning experts and registered users of LinkedIn this week. Their responses are below. With hope, you'll find one or two that fit the bill. The list is grouped, as best as possible, by type and kind. See Robert Powell.

Holiday air deals take off

Nearly all of the nation's largest air carriers are pulling advance-purchase rules for holiday travel, dropping some ticket prices by as much as 79%, Bestfares.com reported Thursday. See Travel.

Lenders a failure at mortgage modification

It has now become very, very apparent to anyone with eyes and ears that lenders have totally dropped the ball when it comes to modifying loans. See Realty Q&A.

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